Type 2 diabetes means that either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, or the insulin that the pancreas produces is not taken up by the cells. Insulin regulates blood sugar – the main type of sugar found in the blood. Loss of this mechanism can raise blood sugar levels to dangerous levels. Luckily, we have a workaround at hand.
Allium cepa, an extract of the onion bulb, was associated with high levels of obesity in diabetic rats given the antidiabetic drug metformin, according to findings presented Thursday at the 97th Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego. It significantly lowered blood sugar (sugar) and total cholesterol levels.
“Onions are cheaply available and have been used as a dietary supplement,” says Anthony Ozzie, principal investigator at Delta State University in Abraka, Nigeria.
“It could be used to treat people with diabetes.”
In three groups of rats with medically induced diabetes, Ojieh and his colleagues treated metformin and various doses of onion extract (200, 400, and 600 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg/kg/day) daily). day)). drug effect.
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They also gave metformin and onion extract to three groups of normoglycemic non-diabetic rats for comparison.
Two control groups, non-diabetic and diabetic, received neither metformin nor onion extract.
Another two groups (with and without diabetes) received only metformin and no onion extract. Each group included her 5 rats.
Two doses of 400 and 600 mg/kg/day of onion extract increased fasting blood glucose levels in diabetic rats compared to ‘baseline’ levels at the beginning of the study before the rodents received onion. significantly reduced by 50% and 35% respectively. Extraction, Ojieh reported.
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Allium cepa has also been reported to lower total cholesterol levels in diabetic rats.
Onion extract produced an increase in mean body weight in non-diabetic rats, but not in diabetic rats.
“Onions are not high in calories,” Ogier said. “However, it appears to increase metabolic rate and, therefore, appetite, leading to increased food intake.”
“We need to investigate the mechanisms by which onions lowered blood sugar levels,” said Ojieh. “We don’t have an explanation yet.”
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The study, which also included scientists from Cranfield University in the UK, found that the onion’s brown skin and outer layer contain useful amounts of fiber and flavonoids, while the bulb contains sulfur compounds and fructans. understood.
This study showed that the brown onion skin is rich in dietary fiber and thus can be used as a functional ingredient, and that the two layers of the outer flesh also contain fiber and flavonoids and have high antimicrobial properties. It has been shown to have oxidizing ability.
“One solution is to use onion waste as a natural source of ingredients of high functional value,” said researcher Vanessa Benitez. “This vegetable is rich in compounds that benefit human health.” because it is contained in
She added: “Eating fiber reduces your risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal upset, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity.”
